Dr. Robert B. Barron, a Biographical Sketch

From Memoirs of Georgia, Volume II by The Southern Historical Association, 1895.
Transcribed by S. Lincecum about 2006.

Dr. Robert B. Barron, a leading physician of Macon, Ga, is the son of Dr. James Finney and Joannah E. (Shropshire) Barron, and was born in Clinton, Jones Co., GA, Dec 26, 1859. Dr. James F. Barron was born in Jones county in 1825 and has always lived there. He was educated at Powelton, Hancock Co., and was graduated in medicine at the University Medical college of the city of New York in 1849. He served in both branches of the general assembly before the war and was a member of the secession convention, being in favor of that movement. In 1853-4-5 he was justice of the inferior court of Jones county. He was exempt from active military service on account of physical disablity, but was one of four men in his native county who, during the war, looked after the widows and orphans at home, and in so doing spent all he had. He was married in 1853, his wife being a daughter of Capt. James H. Shropshire, an officer in the Seminole war, and a granddaughter of James Shropshire, a native of England. They had six children: James H. of Jasper county, Ga; William W. of Jones county, ex-sheriff and clerk of the superior court; Dr. R. B.; Jackson Clay, Jones county, lawyer and judge of the county court, now serving his second term, having been elected first at the age of twenty-three; he was for two years at West Point academy; Abington L., a teacher in Putnam county; Sallie E., unmarried. Dr. James F. Barron's father was William Barron, also a native of what is now Jones county, Ga, and was born in 1798. He was a farmer all his life, was at one time sheriff of the county, and died in 1837. His father, Dr. Robert B. Barron's great-grandfather, was Samuel Barron, who was born in Virginia in 1772, and came with his father to Hancock county, Ga, in 1783. He became an extensive planter, was one of the original settlers of Jones county, and owned several hundred slaves. He had eleven children and at his death left to each of them between thirty-five and forty slaves. His father, Dr. Barron's great-great-grandfather, James Barron, was a native of Scotland. The great Commodore Barron, who fought a duel with Commodore Decatur, was a first cousin of James Barron. The name James, has been given to the eldest son of the Barron family for six generations. Dr. Robert B. Barron was brought up and primarily educated at Clinton. At the age of seventeen he entered Mercer university at Macon, Ga, graduating with the degree of A. B. in 1881. Returning home he read medicine with his father one year, then went to Bellevue Hospital Medical college in New York city and was graduated from that institution in 1883. He came back to Clinton, Ga, after his graduation and practiced with his father until 1889. From that time until August, 1891, he was employed as physician and surgeon by the Southern Lumber company and the Wadley & Mount Vernon Railway company at Wadley, Ga. He came from Wadley to Macon and has since practiced there. Dr. Barron is a member and president of the Jones County Medical society, and also of the Macon Medical society; is a member of the Georgia Medical association and of the American Medical Association, to whose meeting in 1887 he was a delegate. He is past high priest of Constantine chapter No. 4, R. A. M., and master of Mabel lodge No. 255, F. & A. M., and senior of St. Omar commandery No. 2, Knights Templar, and a member of the A. T. O. (Greek society). In 1885 he received the degree of A. M. from Mercer university. He was married in the year last mentioned to Miss Willa, daughter of William Etheridge. In 1887, he read before the Georgia Medical association a paper on "Uterine Disorders," which was published in the report of the society's transactions. He has read many other widely-noticed papers before the Jones county and Macon Medical societies and is orator of the Georgia Medical association for 1896. Dr. Barron is an honored member of the Baptist church, and his wife is a member of the Methodist church.